Okay… Next chapter here… Oh, if ever there are Japanese readers out there, or people who just know how to speak Japanese, forgive me if the Japanese grammar's, well, not so fine. But I did my best there! And oh, do tell me if you think that a "kindly threatening" voice is possible…

I've always wanted to include song lyrics here… But I never found the right time to do it… Maybe this chapter… Or the next…

Title: The Future is Waiting

Chapter 13: Before the Ball

When they arrived at Castlerest, the sun had almost set. The sky was turning into a grayish blue, with a faint pink in the east. Castlerest was indeed the home of the rich, Harry thought. Large, painted manors were a common sight, and Harry even spotted one that looked like it was a smaller replica of the Hogwarts Castle.

He did not dare voice out his amazement, however, for he was sure Malfoy would only embarrass him again. Malfoy, who lived in a manor, looked almost at home to the place.

"Er, where d'you guys want to go?" asked Rose after a few minutes' walking.

"Are there shops here?" asked Ron.

"Yes, but they're kind of small. The real shopping places are up at Shopswalk in Kita Umi-game Hebi," said Rose.

"Oh, Shopswalk! The shopping capital, isn't it?" said Hermione.

"Um, d'you guys want to go up to the house?" Rose offered.

"Your house?" Harry asked.

"Yeah... If you want to – "

"Sure! That's brilliant, Rose!" exclaimed Malfoy.

They walked down one of the wider streets and found themselves standing outside a very old but still sturdy-looking small castle. It was just a little smaller than the Bridgework Castle itself, and Bridgework was the same size as Hogwarts, and Harry had not visited all the parts of Hogwarts yet, and he thought it was already very big.

They entered the black grilled gates and walked to the front door.

"Konbanwa, Rosu-sama," an old woman bowed to Rose when they entered the gleaming black front doors.

"Konbanwa, Sanada-san," said Rose with a smile to the woman.

"Konbanwa, kyaku-sama," the woman bowed to Harry and the others too.

"Sanada says good evening," said Rose, turning to them. "It's 'Konbanwa.'"

"Konbanwa," Harry muttered along with Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy. The woman bowed again. Then, she spotted Malfoy.

"Ahh, Drako-sama!" exclaimed the woman, sinking into another low bow. Malfoy made no reaction. He must be used to this treatment, Harry thought.

"Sanada-san, doko wa minna-san desu ka?" said Rose. Harry guessed she was asking something.

"Shigoto desu," said the woman, pointing behind her to a blue hallway.

"Minna-san wa daijobu ka?"

"Hai, Rosu-sama. Daijobu. Ku no arigatou."

Harry was wondering what they were talking about when Rose approached him.

"Kore wa Harry-kun, Sanada-san," said Rose. She seemed to be introducing Harry to Sanada.

"Hari?" The woman said Harry's name in her Japanese accent.

"Harry Potter, Sanada-san," said Rose. "Kore wa Ron-kun o Hermione-san," she said, indicating Ron and Hermione in turn with her hand.

"Ah, hai… Cha, Rosu-sama?" spoke the woman.

"Hai, kudasai," smiled Rose. Then, the woman disappeared into the hallway. "Follow me."

They went down the hall as well. As they passed, Harry noticed numerous paintings of stately-looking people. He assumed that these were members of the Ashworth family. They turned a corner and walked down a brown corridor this time. The walls were lined with unfurled scrolls, lots of Japanese writing on them. Rose led them to the front of blue doors, which rose to the ceiling. Rose pushed them apart and –

"Mother!" exclaimed Malfoy, hurrying forward. It was indeed his mother, sitting on one of the cushioned chairs that lined the blue room, the woman Harry saw back at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Mrs. Malfoy!" Rose said in a rather shocked, worried voice. "How – how nice of you to come by! Did you know that we were to come here today?"

"Rose, haven't I told you not to call me 'Mrs. Malfoy'? Call me 'Mother,' dear," said Malfoy's mother, Narcissa Black. Harry was reminded of Malfoy's early efforts to get Rose to call him by his first name.

"Like mother, like son," Ron muttered beside Harry.

"And you are accompanied by a rather strange group," said Mrs. Malfoy in a kindly threatening voice.

"I – I asked Draco to c – come with us, Mother," Rose stuttered. Harry was pretty sure she was terrified of Mrs. Malfoy.

"And you came?" Mrs. Malfoy asked her son.

"Yes, Mother. You see, Rose – "

"Yes, yes… I know you'd go to any lengths to come to Rose's aid. But I must say, this is quite impressing, Draco…"

Harry could see what was impressing. Seeing a Malfoy with Harry Potter was quite a miracle.

"I – I'll bring them to the other room, shall I?" said Rose. She ushered Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Harry hissed at Rose. Their faces were an inch apart.

"Harry, I'll explain later! Please, just get out of her way. You don't know how she deals with people she doesn't like!" Rose pleaded.

"You did that to save us? Blimey, she must be really horrible," said Ron in an okay voice. But Harry felt offended, for some reason, by Rose.

"So what if she's horrible when she's angry? We're not gonna do anything?" said Harry.

"Harry, please!" said Rose in almost a squeak. She held Harry's hands. "You don't know her! Please, Harry!"

Harry gulped and gave a small nod. He suddenly felt ridiculous. He felt that he got angry for no reason at all. Rose turned and led them to a room similar to the first, except that it was red. The three of them sat down.

"I'll tell you when she's left," said Rose.

She seemed to be fighting back tears. She cast one worried look at Harry and she turned to leave. Harry gazed at the floor, not really seeing it. He heard the doors shut with a snap, and there was silence. You don't know her. The words reverberated in his brain. He remembered Claire again. He was starting to doubt Rose. Rose proved once that she did not trust Harry. What if she really doesn't regard him as a friend? Maybe it's a family matter so that only her and Malfoy can hear it.

"Hey, what's with you two?" said Ron. Both Harry and Hermione looked at him. "You're both silent and all… What's the matter?"

"Nothing…" Harry mumbled.

"Come on, you two… Are we just – just gonna sit here and wait for Rose to come back?" said Hermione.

"What? We're gonna wander around the house? Cool it, Hermione… This place gives me the creeps," said Ron.

"This is Rose's house! How come you're scared? And I'm not talking about going around the house. Don't you want to listen to what Narcissa Black's telling Rose and Malfoy?" said Hermione.

"What if Malfoy's mum catches us? And, there's no need. Rose's gonna tell us all about it later anyway."

"What if she doesn't?" said Harry quietly.

"What?" said Ron and Hermione together.

"What if she doesn't want to tell us?"

"Oy, Harry… What're you on about?" said Ron slowly. "Wait – you're not – you're not jealous, are you?" said Ron, laughing.

"What d'you mean jealous?" said Harry, looking at Ron with narrowed eyes.

"You're just jealous because of Malfoy…" said Ron carefully now. Was it jealousy that Harry felt? He could not tell…

"Come on, people! Let's go?" Hermione said.

The three of them got up and wakled down the corridor to the blue doors, which were shut. Between the doors was a small gap, just enough to peek. Harry peered.

"What is the matter with you two?" said Mrs. Malfoy, irritation in her voice.

She was sitting in the same chair, Rose and Draco Malfoy sitting across the center table. They were sitting in the same cushioned chair, and Harry felt a funny wriggling in his stomach and an odd irritation in his mind. Malfoy was leaning back on the chair, his arms spread wide. Rose sat upstraight, looking rather scared to let down her guard in front of Mrs. Malfoy. Draco Malfoy, however, was gazing at Rose's back, as though hoping that she's lean back so he could place his arm over around her shoulders.

"What do you mean, Mother?" said Malfoy, breaking out of his trance.

"I mean, I know that you two were not really comfortable with each other back then… But now is different, children… You have spent a lot of time with each other at Bridgework. I think I can say that I expect you to become closer than what you're showing me right now," Mrs. Malfoy finished.

Harry could only imagine how thankful Malfoy was to his mother.

"Mother," said Malfoy in an offhand sort of voice. Then, he straightened up and indeed placed his hand over Rose's shoulders. Harry distinctly saw Rose shiver.

"Well, I'll be off…" said Malfoy's mother, suddenly getting up. "I have to go somewhere. I'll see you two later…"

The three of them walked to the door of the blue room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione scrambled out of sight.

"And oh," said Mrs. Malfoy, her footsteps stopping just before the blue doors. "Do send me a picture of you two together at the ball. I expect you two will be going together to tonight's Halloween Ball?"

"Wh – " Harry heard Rose start.

"Yes, mother. We will," said Malfoy.

After hearing Mrs. Malfoy get out of the house, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got out of their hiding place (a broom cupboard to the left of the blue doors).

"What were you doing there?" Rose asked.

"Oh, uhm, we were – " started Hermione, Ron nodding vigorously behind her.

"Hiding from my mother?" Malfoy suggested.

"Well, er…"

"So, Rose, who's gonna be your date for the Ball?" Ron asked.

It was already eight thirty in the evening; the Ball was to start at nine. They were back inside the Bridgework Castle, Harry remaining silent all through their journey. The sixth years' common room was empty. Students, apparently, were too busy preparing for the Ball in their own dormitories.

"Have you decided who you'll come with?" asked Hermione. Ron and Hermione had no problem this time. Ron had asked Hermione to go to the Ball with him on the train back to Bridgework.

"Well, no…"

"It's okay," Harry said in a rather croaky voice. "You can go with Malfoy."

"What? Potter? Giving way to me? I'm shocked, Potter," said Malfoy.

"Wh – Harry? Why – "

"It's all right. You heard Malfoy's mum… Better send her those pictures," said Harry trying, and failing to smile. His throat had gone dry.

"Oh, Harry, but you'll have to go with Iris Lair instead! She's horrible," said Hermione in a kind of miserable whisper.

"Harry, we can take those pictures even without – "

"I'd be better off with Lair tonight, I think!" Harry yelled before he could stop himself. Rose stared at him silently, shocked, for a moment. Then she spoke in a forced calm voice.

"Better off with her tonight, is it?" she said, her voice full of supressed rage. "I do not compare myself to her… But I was just wondering why you think so…" Harry turned and walked toward the stairs to the boys' dormitory, intending to climb it, but he stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned.

"I said, that's what I think," Harry said in forced calm too. Rose walked up to him.

"Why then? Why do you think so? And why are you so angry anyway? Is this another bout of the Potter-Malfoy rivalry?"

"It doesn't matter."

"No, actually, it matters," said Rose with an annoyed smile. "You see, what you think always matters."

"How d'you mean – "

"You are always like this! When I forget to tell you things you get angry! Now, doesn't what you think count?" said Rose. Harry was hardly aware of what was happening around him, except for Rose.

"I get angry? When did I get angry? You don't know… You don't know me! And I don't know you either!" Harry yelled.

He had dragged Claire's warning into it. He did not mean to, but he just did not understand. He wished Rose would help him, but she didn't. He did not know whether she was lying, telling him that she was not dreaming of the same thing, or she was just keeping things from Harry. He did not know if he trusted her anymore. And now, he knew perfectly well she had to pick Malfoy over him. He was giving them the freedom. What was she so angry about, then? It was Harry who had the right to be angry! Rose doesn't care about how he feels!

"Oh, I know you! You're a little hero who doesn't know when to be brave!" laughed Rose.

"What d'you mean I don't know when to be brave?"

"Argh! Anata wa taihen muzai no desu! You are so naïve, Potter!"

"What!"

"I don't know you? So tell me, what have I missed about the great and famous Harry Potter?"

"You don't know me…"

"Oh yeah? What mystery do you still – "

Harry did not know what made him do it. And in front of his friends too. It wasn't the best place at all. Rose was yelling at him, and next thing he knew, he had his hands clasped tightly around Rose's jaws and they were kissing. Harry did not see any vision of Sirius or anything, and he was quite sure his urge to touch Rose was his own.

Harry pulled away and opened his eyes. Rose opened her eyes at the same time and stared at Harry, even more shocked, slightly breathless. Nobody said a word. Harry stared at Rose and Rose stared back. Harry did not dare look at Ron and Hermione, least of all Malfoy, who Harry was sure was just enraged.

"What are you still doing here?" said voice from the marble steps. It was Professor Eugene. "The Ball is to start in fifteen minutes! You need to prepare yourselves! Especially you two ladies!" she nodded rather furiously at Hermione and Rose. "Go on, now. Both of you."

Eugene marched Hermione and Rose, who were both still looking shocked, up to their dormitories. Rumbling footsteps told them the sixth years were coming down, and as they crowded the common room, Harry lost sight of Malfoy, who looked too appalled to speak. Harry and Ron went up to their dormitory together and dressed silently for the Ball.